Gary sat alone in his grandfather's lab, researching the various starter Pokémon from the different regions. Being the grandson of one of the most valuable Pokémon professors of all time had its perks, especially for a Pokémon researcher in the making.

Silence was so golden these days, as children turning ten would come by the hour to pick up their first Pokémon to set off on their journey. Gary could remember the morning he turned ten like it was yesterday, not seven years ago. He had selected Squirtle as his starter. Well, not exactly selected, he more than less just took it because it was the only one left. He had woken up a little late, but luckily for him, his family lived in a house next to the lab. As he walked away from the lab, he ran into Ash, running late as usual. But, he would never admit that he had been late as well. Not to Ash, especially. So, he made a snooty remark about how great his starter Pokémon was, and then walked away to embark on his own separate journey.

Gary had always had problems with having to be the best at everything he did, especially Ash. Since they were very young, all the talk had been Ash this, Ash that, nothing good was ever said about Gary. They always said that Ash had to have inherited some of his father's great Pokémon training genes, and he was likely to be even better. Like he could help it that his parents refused to capture and train Pokémon! They had always called it a sin to Arceus, whatever that means.

Due to that, Gary always strived to be the best, even if it meant hurting his best friend in the process.

He chose to be a Pokémon trainer only because it was Ash's choice as well. His parents were never truly happy with that decision, but his grandfather always supported him throughout whatever he chose to do in life. Gary fought many battles and won many badges, but in the end, he realized that Ash would always come out on top in Pokémon training. Gary decided then that there was no point in trying to better than Ash, and that he just needed to be himself. He decided to go on his own path to become a Pokémon researcher in his grandfather's footsteps.

It seemed odd to Gary that he seemed to be on the right track after all that had happened, rather than Ash.

Since the day of the accident, Gary had trouble dealing with the fact of it. Everytime someone would begin to ask about it or just simply mention the ordeal, Gary would refuse to speak about it or would walk away from the situation all together. He knew it was his fault. If it weren't for him, Ash would be a Pokémon Master by now, not lying around in a rundown apartment. It was all his fault.

He had sat in the waiting area at the hospital with the others, waiting to hear how severe the injuries were. Gary had been confused about what had happened, even though Misty carefully explained it to him in the waiting area. He could remember nothing of what had happened before, except for that Ash had been knocked out. But it was very clear to Gary that it was his fault.

So much was on his mind, he didn't even notice Ash's mother joyfully say that Ash was awake and that he wanted to see Misty. He didn't notice the sudden brightness in Misty's cerulean eyes or her sudden rush to Ash's room. He didn't even notice Ash and Misty yelling at each other in the hospital room. He only happened to look up to see tears streaming from Misty's eyes as she fled out of the hospital room, grabbed her coat, and headed for the exit.

Man, Ash's condition must be really bad, Gary thought to himself. And it was all his fault…

He decided he needed to see Ash for himself. He didn't know if he could talk to him or not, but he wanted to. Without speaking, Gary stood up from his seat and slowly walked up to the hospital room. He let out a deep sigh and opened the door, slowly stepping inside.

There lay Ash, hooked to an IV and covered in casts. He was looking to the side, away from the door. He had a grimace on his face as if he was angry at something and tears rolled down his face. Ash seemed to notice Gary's presence in the room and his head to look at him.

"I'll never be good enough," Ash said, looking at Gary.

A wave of guilt flooded over Gary as he began to feel tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't take this any longer. As soon as he possibly could, he turned around and walked away. He held back his tears until he stepped out of the hospital. He couldn't show himself breaking down to anyone; he was Gary Oak after all. But as soon as no one was looking, he cried. For once, he allowed his own emotions to shine through, not the emotions of people's conception of Gary. Just his own.

Gary never attempted to see Ash after that. While Ash was back living with his mother, he would come and train Pikachu every week. It was the very least he could do, considering it was impossible for him to interact with Ash without breaking down. Gary would be sure to come early in the morning to pick up Pikachu, knowing Ash wouldn't be awake yet.

A year after the accident, Delia called Gary to tell him that Ash had moved out on his own and his training was no longer needed. A million questions went through his mind. Where is he going? Will he be okay? What will he do about his Pokémon? Can he even live on his own? But even though a million questions surged, all he could choke out was okay before he hung up the phone.

And now, another year has passed on. Gary blocked the memory out of his mind, but anyone that knew Gary well could tell he wasn't the same as before.

Just as Gary was about to calculate the strength of Squirtle's shell against Charmander's fire power, there was a knock at the door. He placed his book back onto the desk from which it came, and walked to the door. Gary swiftly opened the door in one movement.

In front of him stood a middle aged man, a little younger than his own grandfather. He was wearing a stiff black suit that would make anyone see him as an average business man until you glanced up to his rough, scarred face with an uneven goatee and shaggy gray locks of hair, which were an obvious "at home" haircut. The man's eyes under his bushy eyebrows had a deep darkness to them as he stared at Gary. He appeared to be in some type of invisible pain as he stood there.

"Can I help you?" Gary asked the man with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

The man stared at Gary for a second before reaching inside his coat to pull out a shiny metallic badge with the National Pokémon League Government insignia on it. "Russell Jones, Head of the NPLG. You know who we are, right, little boy?"

Of course he knew. Who hadn't heard of the NPLG or Russell Jones? The NPLG were pretty much the leaders of everything, controlling every action, move, and part of the Pokémon world, and Russell Jones was the ringleader of it all.

Gary's grandfather had told him tons about the NPLG. Their mission statement: Keep the Pokémon world at peace. They kept all people and Pokémon in line, at any cost. But one thing that not everyone knew about them was their attempts to keep the Pokémon world separate from the other world, a world without Pokémon. Gary only knew because it had slipped out of his grandfather a few times during tough times, but sometimes he wished he didn't know. It was a place that still had people, plants, buildings, and even had the sun! But the only thing it lacked was Pokémon. It had something called animals instead, whatever that was. The thought was nice, but what was the hardest was not being to tell anyone about it. What he would give to tell someone that their sky and sun was some other world's too! But with the NPLG, that would never happen.

Everyone knew the National Pokémon League Government. Who wouldn't know their wannabe dictators?

But even though he knew everything about the NPLG, he kept staring at the man. Gary was standing in front of Russell Jones, the man never seen, only heard. Russell Jones never made public appearances or had his picture taken for a newspaper; he only made weekly newsletters concerning the economic state of the Pokémon world. They were always short and sweet, making the Pokémon world sound perfect. Pretty much the same thing was in one week's letter as the last, but everyone read them, nonetheless. Gary had always suspected Russell Jones didn't write those letters though, because he had seen the real newsletters. The thick, multiple paged newsletters secretly shipped to every important person in the Pokémon world, including Gary's grandfather, Professor Samuel Oak. Like many other things Gary shouldn't know, he only found this from being too curious in his grandfather's lab. They told the truth, not the short crap only made to keep the public happy.

"Look," Russell said, interrupting the silence. "I need to see Samuel Oak. Now."

"Why do you need to-"

"Kid, if you do not take me to him now, it can and will be charged as a federal crime against you. And I don't think your mommy and daddy would be very happy about that," Russell said forcefully, taking a step forward into the doorway to stare in Gary's face with a tight grip on his shoulder.

"O-okay, follow me," Gary said, shaking Russell's hand off of him. He guided him down the hallway to the door of his grandfather's office.

"I can take it from here," Russell said. "Just go back to your Game Boy, or whatever kids do nowadays."

Russell opened the door with no hesitation and slammed it shut just as fast. Gary's 'in your business' attitude made him need to know why the man never seen was here to talk to his grandfather. Something had to be wrong. He sat down in the hallway next to the door and gently pressed his ear on the cold wood of the door.

"Russell Jones!" Professor Oak exclaimed. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Sit down. I don't have much time so I need to get straight to the point." Russell said with authority. "We haven't mentioned it much, because we didn't think the time would come this soon. We thought we still had time to prepare for it, but all the signs have arrived."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard to old folktale of the purpose of Pokémon Masters?"

"Of course I have. Pokémon Masters are said to be protectors of the Pokémon world. The folktale says that one day, four Pokémon Masters will have to step up to battle Arceus to keep him from destroying the world. It isn't known how or why, but our fate would be in their hands. But nowadays," Professor Oak said with a chuckle, "they only want it for the title of being a Pokémon Master. But it makes sense. That old story is completely crazy, right?"

Then there was silence.

"That's why I'm here." Russell said with grief in his voice. "The story, it's true. And it is happening now. Many years ago, the top Pokémon scientists thoroughly studied the inscriptions from where the old folktale came from. It told of the signs of the disaster to what will have to be done to solve it. It also said that no one can speak of or somehow spread exactly what was in the inscriptions or we would most certainly have no chance of survival. The current government and I only know of the signs because one brave Pokémon scientist wrote them down, with a few other details, before perishing into thin air. The note was then delivered to the government and has been passed down since. So, all we know are the signs, and that four Pokémon Masters are needed to battle Arceus."

"Wait, why don't we perish from telling the old folktale?"

"It's not an exact detail. Just a sugar coated sample of the real deal."

"Then why doesn't the government go back and look at the inscriptions? Take some pictures so you wouldn't be actually speaking of it or spreading it around."

"We can't. The first and only group who went into the cave in which they are hidden realized the dangers of others coming and reading the inscriptions, so they locked off the cave to everyone. The only way to get in now is by being in the group of selected Pokémon Masters."

"Well," Professor Oak sighed. "I just, I can't believe it's all true. And it's happening now! I'm just in disbelief… But Pokémon Masters are here for a reason. I'm confident they will be able to stop this. But, I have to ask, who are the four selected Masters?"

Another lengthy silence…

"That's the real problem. As of today, there are only three living Pokémon Masters. The legend calls for four, and it will not work any other way. Our world will be doomed."

"Are you sure? I mean, did you check everywhere?"

"Yes, all across our planet. The want to be a Pokémon Master has decreased over the years, and with the challenge being incredibly difficult, only three have made it to be a Pokémon Master in the recent days. But that's the main reason I came especially to you."

"Why?"

"From what our records show, there is one person who has the qualifications to become a Pokémon Master, and they only have to defeat the final challenge. There is no more time for anyone else to gain the qualifications. The next and final chance for a Pokémon Master Trial is in twenty days, and Arceus will be ready in thirty days. This trainer is our last hope."

"Who are they, then?"

"The boy is from Pallet, which is why I came to you. His name is Ash Ketchum. Does it ring a bell to you?"

A shiver went down Gary's spine. Ash was the only one who could save our world? But he isn't training anymore. How could he get back to where he was in twenty days and become a Pokémon Master? If it weren't for the accident, he would already be a Pokémon Master and there would be no problem with battling Arceus. But Gary had ruined Ash's life, and had ruined the fate of the world as well.

Gary's body was shaking and going weak. He had not thought of the accident of Ash in so long, and now the thick barrier built in his mind had burst open, sending all the thoughts and memories through his head. He put his hand up on the door knob to brace himself. Gary couldn't hear them talking anymore, so he leaned closer to the door. Then, in a sudden movement, his hand slipped and turned the doorknob, opening the door and throwing Gary onto the floor of his grandfather's office.

"Gary!" Professor Oak screamed. "What are you doing?"

"Son," Russell said. "You better have not been listening outside," he said while standing up out of his seat to step toward Gary.

Gary took one look up the Russell, then glanced to his grandfather's worried face. In a shot of adrenaline, he burst off the floor and ran out of the room and headed toward the exit. He could hear Russell yelling randomly and his grandfather pleading for him the come back to them, but that couldn't stop him. He didn't know where he was going or what he was doing next, but he knew one thing…

He had to find Ash.